Scilab function
Last update : 12/1/2004

pvm_start - Start the PVM daemon

### Calling Sequence

  `[info] = pvm_start(["hostfile"])`

### Parameters

- `hostfile`: name of the hostfile describing the configuration for each host of the virtual machine.
- `info`: integer, status code returned by the routine. Values less than zero indicate an error.

### Description

`pvm_start` starts the `Pvmd3` daemon process which coordinates unix hosts in a virtual machine. One pvmd3 must run on each host component of the virtual machine. They provide the communication and process control functions needed by the user's PVM processes. The local and remote pvmds can also be started from the PVM console program pvm.

The optional parameter is the name of a host file. See pvmd3 for more details on the host file format. If no argument is given to `pvm_start`, but the variable PVM_ROOT is set, scilab will try to load the file $HOME/.pvmd.conf. If this file does not exist, or the variable PVM_ROOT is not set, scilab will try to load the default file $SCI/.pvmd.conf. In all other cases, scilab will supposed that PVM and scilab are in standard place on your net.

Note that, to be able to start a PVM daemon, scilex must know the place to find both scilex and pvmd. Normally, scilex will start a new PVM daemon by using rsh. See the help on pvmd3 and pvm for more detail on how to start/stop pvm.

For example:

    pvm_start()
     ans  =

        0.
    -->pvm_start()
     ans  =

      - 28.

Error -28 means: pvm_start_pvmd(): Duplicate host

### See Also

`pvmd3`, `pvm_halt`, `pvm_addhosts`, `pvm_config`,